Hi I'm Wilfried

About Me

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My name is Wilfried. I am 22, and I was born and raised in Libreville, Gabon, a country safely nestled in the center of the African continent.
I am currently studying Finance and am planning on working in Investment Banking. My long term goals include helping to strengthen the economic and monetary policy of my country.
I enjoy sports, especially soccer and football. I love hiking, camping, fishing, and most everything else outdoors.

Why I am a Mormon

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I was blessed to be born in a family with a deeply religious mother, full of faith and dedicated to bring to pass God's purposes the best she knew how. My mother is not a latter-day saint, neither is my father; consequently, when I arrived to Texas at age 16, I knew nothing of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Thankfully, a couple of weeks after my arrival, two young men knocked on my door and explained to me that they would like to share a message about Jesus Christ. I invited them to come back to talk to my roommates and I. When they returned, they shared a neatly presented message to us. But the importance for me did not come until we read from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Indeed, we read from the third book of Nephi which recounts the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ to some of his "other sheep" (see John 10:16). As my turn came to read I started on the tenth verse of the eleventh chapter which reads "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world." As I read this sacred verse, I felt the Spirit of the Lord testify to me that it was truly Him that had spoken those words, and that I was indeed reading Scripture.
After that first experience, I started to nurture the desire to be baptized. Nevertheless, I was a minor, and my parents did not approve my Baptism. Thankfully, two years and a mountain of heartache and experiences later, I was able to be baptized on my 18th birthday. Indeed, it was a joyous and glorious day.
I have since been able to serve as a full-time missionary for this Divine Church that reverently and lawfully bears the Lord's Name. I am learning the meaning of the words of the Master when He said, "Come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21). Why am I a Mormon? Because the Lord has testified to me that the Book of Mormon is as true of a witness of His Divinity as the Bible is, because He has testified to me that Joseph Smith was as much his Prophet as Moses was, and indeed because the Principles of the Gospel guide me as to how to "live after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27)

How I live my faith

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"And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you,"(3 Nephi 18:11) this is how I live my Faith. Let me explain.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ, one may easily get lost in the list of things He commands us to do. But truly, as we take upon ourselves His Name and strive to remember Him and do what He himself would do if He were here, we will find that we are doing those things without having to worry about them individually.
Accordingly, I always take the opportunity to pray, read my Scriptures, attend Church services, serve Heavenly Father's children in the Holy Temple (see http://lds.org/churchmagazines/EN_2010_10___09210_000_000.pdf), and visit others in my congregation to help them with whatever they stand in need of. Indeed, being a Latter-day Saint is about serving. Service, service, service, there is no other message from He who "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38)

Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith?

Wilfried

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No. "We do not worship the Prophet. We worship God our Eternal Father, and the risen Lord Jesus Christ" (Gordon B. Hinckley- Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1995-2008).
To expound on this answer, I will refer back to what I mentioned earlier. Indeed, I expressed the feeling that I believed Joseph Smith is as much a Prophet as Moses was. When we read of the relationship Moses had with God and the people, he was very much a "spokesman" (see Exodus 4:16) or Prophet of God to them. In fact, Moses is known today as the Lawgiver, because he delivered to Israel the Law of God as He, the Great and Ultimate Lawgiver, instructed Moses to do so. "And the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses." (Exodus 14:31) That is the nature of the relationship Israel had with Moses. They believed and followed him because they had Faith in the Lord, and they knew He had been called of God to lead them.
Well, that too is our relationship with Joseph Smith, the Prophet. Because we believe and are sure that He was called of God to restore His teachings, we admire him and follow the words we know the Lord revealed to him.Show moreShow less

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